The subject of the present invention is a spider assembly for a universal joint of the type defined in the preamble of claim 1.
The invention applies for example to constant-velocity tripod joints used in motor vehicle transmissions.
Such a spider assembly is known from French Patent FR-A-2 795 467 in the name of the Applicant Company.
The assembly described in the abovementioned document is intended to hold each roller on its arm when it is necessary for the spider equipped with rollers and needles, on the one hand, and the female element, on the other, to be delivered separately, these two parts being assembled on a vehicle assembly line. This assembly allows positive retention both of the rollers and of the needles, but the retaining ring in this assembly has, in cross section, a complex profile and this is an economic impediment to its manufacture and a technical impediment regarding tolerance bands.